The deal, announced today, sees company founders and previous majority shareholders Pete and Trish Comley (pictured centre) reducing their shareholding in the £9.8m revenue business.

Trish Comley will step down as chairman of the company, while Pete Comley will remain on the board as a non-executive director alongside Ashby and Lawrence. The pair founded Join the Dots – known then as Virtual Surveys – in 1998.

The company’s main office is in Manchester, with another in Singapore and plans to open more international offices later this year. 

“As a privately owned company we are creative, innovative and agile – this style of approach to our work will continue under the new ownership as we take the business forward," said Ashby (pictured right).

“Pete and Trish created something very special and we are grateful to them for providing us with this opportunity.”